Cathead



Jan. l, 1946,

CATHEAD 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 15, 1944 c-rll H Amull i Zw/ N m Patented Jan. l, I1946 CATHEAD Bryantnanniszer, on city, ra., assigner-tuoi!" Well/ Supply Company, a corporation of New Jersey Application June.' 15, 1944, serial No.- 540,490

(ci. zar-185) 2 Claims.

-My invention relates to improvements ii'icatheads of the character employed in well drilling operations. Such catheads are generally carried upon and driven by the well drilling hoist, and are utilized for spinning up the joints of drill Dine, etc.

My invention contemplates a controlled cathead which is normally inoperative, but which may be selectively operated and automatically stopped when desired, thereby providing complete control of the spinning operations being effected thereby.

I also have in view, the vprovision of such a cathead in addition to the convenional cathead, constructed and embodied in a compact and eficient device which may be readily applied to a hoist, as by means of one of the driven shafts of the latter.

A further object is to provide an actuating mechanism for such a cathead which will have positive and emcient action to effect engagement and disengagement with the source of power therefor.

Additional objects and advantages will become apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompa vlying drawings wherein:

Fig. l is a longitudinal section of a cathead embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a cross section taken on the line H-II oi Fig. El; and

Fig. 3 is a partial section taken on the pitch circle o2 the actuating cam of said cathead.

Referring to the drawings, l designates a por tion of a driven shaft of a holst of the type generally employed in well drilling operations. For example, the shaft i may be the line shaft of such apparatus, and for thepurpose of mounting my improved cathead, the said shaft i is provided with an aligned extension 2, secured to and rotatable with the shaft i by means of a hanged collar or connection 3.

Secured to the outer end of the extension shaft 2 and rotatable therewith is a driven member d which may comprise a conventional cathead. Freely mounted on said extension shaft 2, -as by means of roller bearings 5, I provide an additional cathead or flanged reel t, the latter being adapted to receive a spinning line l, one end-of which is secured to the reel 6 as by means of a clamp 8. 'I'he driven member or cathead d and one flange 9 oi the reel 6 are formed with coacting conical clutch portions I and Il respectively, the latter being faced with a layer i2 of clutch facing material.

On the opposite side' of reel 6 from the driven member or cathead I'provide a brake, including stationary housing members I3 and i4, bolted together at Ma. The member I and the other flange l5 of reel 6 are provided with coacting conical brake ilanges I6 and I1 respectively, thelatter being provided with a brake lining I8. The inclination of the said conical brake portions I S and il is opposite to that of the conical clutch portions lil and il, so that the clutch and lbrake provided thereby may be alternately engaged -by movement o' the reel 6 betweensaid I clutch and brake on theshaft extension 2. The

brake housing i3, I4 is secured against axial movement upon the said shaft 2, as hereinafter described. and a spring i9 is disposed between the driven` member or cathead d and the reel d, normally displacing the latter into braking position with the said clutch disengaged.

Means are provided for manually and axially shifting reel Gfrom its normal braked position Linto clutching position in order to selectively drive the cathead or reel 6 from the driven shaft 2. For this purpose, I provide a cylindrical actuating cam 20 positioned within a provided recess in the housing member i3 and being secured against rotation with respect to said housing by means of a pin 2l entered in said cam and housing. Spaced axially from the cam 2li is a thrust collar 22 having an annular semi-spherical race 23 in the face thereof toward the cam face 2t. The thrust collar 22 bears against an abutment 2e of the hub portion of the reel through an intervening thrust bearing 25.

Rotatably disposed between and within the housing portions i3 and it is an actuating ring 21, the body of which is disposed between the race 23 of thrust collar 22 and cam face 2d of the cam 20. The ring 2l is provided with a radial extension 2li projecting outwardly from the housing i3, it for attachment to an actuating lever 2g.

As shown in Fig. 3, the face 2d of the cam 29 is provided with a series of recesses 530 connected by inclined portions or wedges 3i coacting with a corresponding number of spherical balls 32 to move the thrust collar 22 and reel E against the action of the spring i9 upon movement of the said balls 32 from their said recesses 30 along the wedges 3l by rotation of the actuating ring'2'i. Four of such balls are shown, the same being loosely mounted and carried in recesses 33 within the actuating ring 21.

The housing I 3, il abuts against shoulder 34 of the shaft 2 under the force oi spring i8, through -a. tluust bearing 35, the cam 20 acting as a race for said bearing. An anchor arm It extends radially from the housing member I2 and is secured as at 31 to a portion of the hoist frame or the like, indicated at 38, whereby the housing I3, Il and cam 20 are secured against rotation.

Thus. the free reel or cathead 6 is normally braked and held against rotation under the action of spring I 9, with the balls 32 in sockets 30 of cam 20; Upon rotation of lever 29, the reel 8 is shifted to disengage the brake means and engage the clutch I0, I2 whereby the said reel is driven by th'e shafts I, 2. The lever 29 and the cam and ball action are shown in Figs. 1 and 2 in position to clutch the reel 8 to the said shafts.

When it is desired to stop the reel 8, the lever 29 is released, and the reel is automatically shifted by the spring I9 into braking position. A spring 39 may be connected to lever 28, 29 to assist in moving the parts automatically and quickly to braking position. Housing member I4 is cut away at 40 to permit the desired travel of lever 28, 29, and to provide stops 4I and l2 defining such travel. An annular guard ,43 may be secured to the lever member 28 as shown, the said guard having annular sealing engagement with the housing members I3 and I4 to close the joint therebetween, and particularly the cut-away.pr

-tion 40.

The lever 29 may be disposed adjacent the drillers position at the hoist whereby he may readily control th'e spinning line to spin up the drill pipe Joints. The automatic braking feature of my improved cathead provides immediate control of the spinning line, and is an effective guard against accident, both to men and equipment.

Various changes and modifications are contemplated'within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

l. A cathead assembly including a rotatable shaft, a cathead secured to the outer end of said shaft, a spinning reel freely rotatable and slidable on the shaft, said cathead and reel having coasting clutch flanges at one side of the reel, a stationary housing at the other side of the reel, said reel4 and stationary housing having coasting brake flanges, a spring engaging the cathead and reel to normally displace the latter and engage said brake nanges, means for displacing the reel. against the action of said spring to disengage the brake and engage the clutch flanges, said means including a cam within and secured to the housing, rotatable actuating means within the housing and axially movable on the shaft by the cam to dispiace said reel into clutching position, a manually op erable lever extending outwardly through the housing for rotating th'e actuating means in a. direction to effect said reel displacement, and a spring for the lever to automatically return the actuating means and permit the return of the reel to braking position by the first mentioned spring upon releasing said lever.

2. A cathead assembly including a. rotatable shaft, a cathead secured to the outer end of said shaft, a spinning reel freely rotatable and slidable on the shaft, said cathead and reel having coacting clutchI flanges at one side of the rcel, a stationary housing at the other side of the reel, said reel and stationary housing having coacting brake flanges, a spring engaging the cathead and reel to normally dispiace the latter and engage said brake flanges, meansfor displacing the reel against the action of said spring to disengage the brake and engage the clutch anges, said means including a cam within and secured to th'e housing. said cam having a transverse face formed with a series of alternate recesses and inclined wedge portions, a ball for each wedge portion normally received in adjacent recesses in inoperative position, a rotatable actuating ring within said housing having a series of sockets therein rotatably receiving said balls, a thrust washer engaging the balls and rcel, a manually operable lever secured to the ring and extending outwardly through the housing, means permitting rotation of said lever and ring in a direction to displace said balls and the reel to the clutching position of the latter, and a spring for automatically retracting the said actuating means upon releasing said lever, to' permit the return of the reel to braking position by the first mentioned spring.

BRYANT BANNISTER. 

